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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kid — to tease
  4. swing — to play on
  5. kid — child
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. stock — goods
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. stock — shares
  13. foot — a measure
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. swing — music

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