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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. kid — child
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stock — goods
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. stock — shares
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rash — a series
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pitch — completely
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kid — to tease

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