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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kid — child
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — a tin
  10. firm — decided
  11. race — humankind
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  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