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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 116 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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rule — government
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. rule — a law
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — to sink
  24. kid — to tease

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