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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ground — a position
  5. rash — a series
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pitch — completely
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — child
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. ground — the earth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. ground — crushed
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. calf — a young animal

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