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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. ground — crushed
  4. present — there
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. file — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. ground — the earth
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — the time now
  11. kid — to tease
  12. foot — a measure
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. present — a gift
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ground — a position
  17. kid — child
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — a division
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. file — a line of people
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. sharp — clever

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