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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 can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — a permit
  3. drill — army training
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stock — shares
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kid — to tease
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — employees
  19. spring — of water
  20. staff — a stick
  21. spring — the season
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — music
  24. stock — goods

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