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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. swing — music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. swing — in golf
  13. court — for sport
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. craft — a skill
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — to wash
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. swing — to play on
  24. court — of law

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