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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kid — to tease
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fine — all right
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. dip — to sink
  18. deal — to handle
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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