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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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spell — letters
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — shares
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. kid — to tease
  11. can — a tin
  12. stock — goods
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pit — in a race
  15. spell — magic
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — child
  24. cap — of ice

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