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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chip — to eat
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitch — completely
  5. file — a document
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — clever
  11. file — a tool
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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