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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. game — a match
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. mine — for digging
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. branch — a division
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wake — a trail
  16. game — wild animals
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — a loud noise

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