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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — size or range
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — in music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. chest — a box
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. can — to be able to
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bound — certain

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