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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stock — shares
  8. staff — employees
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — goods
  13. mark — a grade
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. spell — magic
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. spell — letters
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — to keep secret

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