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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. firm — steady
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. game — wild animals
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — a match
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — to eat
  12. band — a ring
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stock — shares
  15. content — happy
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — decided
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. firm — a company
  22. fine — high quality
  23. content — the amount
  24. fine — all right

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