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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. mark — a trace
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bound — certain
  9. pop — music
  10. stock — shares
  11. kid — child
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bound — obliged
  16. stock — goods
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kid — to tease
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rush — hurry

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