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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. toast — bread
  3. march — music
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bound — tied together
  6. spell — letters
  7. track — to keep track
  8. kid — child
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — a short time
  19. suit — clothes
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. march — the month
  22. kid — to tease
  23. suit — to fit
  24. vault — a safe

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