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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — to eat
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — shares
  17. ball — a great time
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kid — to tease
  23. fall — the season
  24. cap — of ice

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