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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bound — obliged
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kid — child
  19. staff — employees
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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