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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rock — music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — a container
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. row — a line
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rock — a stone

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