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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. club — for dancing
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — child
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — a group
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — to visit
  9. roll — a list
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. roll — a cake
  12. track — a path
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kid — to tease
  15. club — for golf
  16. track — a song
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. date — the fruit
  21. track — to keep track
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pop — music
  24. plane — a tool

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