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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. roll — a cake
  4. row — a line
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cell — in biology
  7. kid — child
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cell — a phone
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. roll — a list
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — to tease

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