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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. clip — to cut
  3. kid — to tease
  4. rule — a law
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rule — government
  11. fine — high quality
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mug — a face
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. clip — a video
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — all right

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