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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — to play on
  3. kid — child
  4. suit — clothes
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. kid — to tease
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. net — in sport
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — music
  18. content — the amount
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. content — happy
  24. temple — side of the head

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