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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. charge — in control
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — magic
  10. kid — to tease
  11. firm — decided
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. firm — a company
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. vault — a safe
  17. firm — steady
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kid — child
  20. stock — goods
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — electricity
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — shares

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