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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. present — there
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. stock — goods
  6. cap — a hat
  7. kid — to tease
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — the time now
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — a gift
  14. race — humankind
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — child
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cap — a lid
  19. stock — shares
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. date — the fruit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — a contest
  24. bear — the animal

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