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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. band — a ring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a music group
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — the earth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chip — to eat
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. roll — a list

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