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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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. swing — to play on
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. swing — in golf
  11. cap — of ice
  12. net — after costs
  13. kid — to tease
  14. net — for catching
  15. stock — goods
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — music
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kid — child
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. stock — shares
  22. cue — a hint
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. cap — a lid

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