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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stock — goods
  4. chip — to eat
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fine — high quality
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — all right
  10. kid — child
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — certain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bound — tied together
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. stock — shares
  24. rest — a break

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