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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stock — goods
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. kid — child
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — shares
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mug — a face
  22. chair — a leader
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mug — to rob

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