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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. game — wild animals
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — money
  14. current — electric
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — the bottom

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