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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pass — a permit
  5. press — to push
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. kid — child
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — to tease
  14. scale — in music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. foot — a measure
  20. can — a tin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. can — to be able to

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