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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. net — for catching
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stock — goods
  8. key — for a lock
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — after costs
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. key — in music
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stock — shares
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. net — in sport
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. kid — child
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. key — the most important part

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