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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 120 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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bound — certain
  6. hand — help
  7. staff — employees
  8. club — a group
  9. track — to keep track
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. track — a path
  13. rule — government
  14. club — for dancing
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — employees
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — child
  20. hand — in cards
  21. club — for golf
  22. bound — obliged
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bound — tied together

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