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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. object — to protest
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — a thing
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — to tease
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mine — an explosive

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