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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cue — a signal
  6. key — the most important part
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. key — in music
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cue — a hint
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — a tin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kid — child
  24. cue — for pool

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