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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kid — child
  8. bank — of a river
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. ground — a position
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bank — for money
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. bound — certain

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