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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pit — a hole
  5. capital — money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. band — a music group
  10. bank — for money
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. field — farmland
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. charge — in control
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. charge — a price
  18. field — for sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. kid — child
  24. band — a ring

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