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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 120 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. club — a group
  15. kid — child
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. foot — a measure
  21. suit — to fit
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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