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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. drill — the tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. kid — to tease
  14. drill — army training
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — for a computer

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