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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. land — ground
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kick — in football
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — a face
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ball — a great time
  18. land — a country
  19. firm — steady
  20. kid — child
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fork — a garden tool

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