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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a lid
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mug — to rob
  13. cap — a hat
  14. charge — a price
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stock — shares
  19. key — in music
  20. cap — of ice
  21. mug — a face
  22. kid — to tease
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — magic

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