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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. saw — the tool
  6. squash — to crush
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — child
  11. firm — steady
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bass — the fish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. squash — the sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bass — low music
  20. firm — decided
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. scale — in music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. firm — a company

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