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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. suit — in cards
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — to tease
  11. suit — clothes
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mug — to rob
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mug — a face
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. kid — child
  23. roll — a list
  24. bulb — for light

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