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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. firm — steady
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cell — a phone
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — high quality
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. firm — a company
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cue — a hint

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