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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kid — child
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. clip — to cut
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. clip — a video
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pit — a hole
  16. clip — for paper
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. ruler — a monarch

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