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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bound — tied together
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. kid — child
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — soda
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. bound — certain
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chip — to eat
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fan — a supporter

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