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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 124 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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — a committee
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — in music
  6. kid — to tease
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — child
  10. scale — size or range
  11. cue — a hint
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cue — a signal
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — money
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cue — for pool
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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