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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. tube — the underground
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. kid — child
  11. bound — certain
  12. stock — shares
  13. cue — a hint
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — to eat
  16. tube — a container
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stock — goods
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stock — a soup base

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