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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — in a computer

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