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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — in music
  8. rash — a series
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hand — help
  14. kid — to tease
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mug — a face
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — obliged
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rash — hasty
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mug — a cup
  24. hand — part of the body

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