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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — in a race
  6. charge — a price
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kid — to tease
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. stock — goods
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kid — child
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — shares
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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