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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — steady
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. firm — a company
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — shares
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wound — an injury
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — goods
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — child
  22. suit — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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