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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kid — child
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a great time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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