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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stock — goods
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pop — music
  6. rash — a series
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — hasty
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kid — child
  15. stock — shares
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — soda
  22. kid — to tease
  23. chair — a leader
  24. bark — of a tree

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