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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 120 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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to click
  5. kid — child
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rock — music
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. can — a tin
  17. stock — goods
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. can — to be able to
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. can — a tin

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