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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. kid — child
  4. chip — to eat
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. march — music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bound — certain
  14. cap — a lid
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — a hat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. march — the month
  24. pitcher — a jug

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