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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. staff — employees
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — to tease
  6. staff — a stick
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — child
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — a position
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a ring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. deal — to handle
  23. ground — crushed
  24. arm — a part of something

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