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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. can — a tin
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — in football
  20. swing — in golf
  21. swing — music
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. pit — in a race

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