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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pop — soda
  3. rule — government
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chip — for betting
  6. rule — a law
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — to eat
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pop — music
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pop — to visit
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. racket — for tennis

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