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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 116 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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — to tease
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. current — happening now
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. kid — child
  20. content — the amount
  21. current — electric
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — of water
  24. content — videos and posts

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