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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rash — a series
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stock — shares
  5. kid — child
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. key — in music
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. rash — hasty
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — a grade
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mark — a trace
  23. key — for a lock
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com