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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — soda
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pop — music
  6. kid — child
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. roll — a cake
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. roll — a list
  17. track — to keep track
  18. game — a match
  19. mug — to rob
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. pop — to visit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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