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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. mark — a grade
  4. present — there
  5. object — an aim
  6. present — a gift
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. field — farmland
  9. kid — child
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. object — to protest
  15. mark — a trace
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. object — a thing
  19. kick — in football
  20. present — the time now
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — with a leg

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