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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — to tease
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lean — thin
  8. kid — child
  9. rash — a series
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bass — the fish
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. stock — shares
  24. bass — low 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