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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pound — a weight
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kid — child
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. spell — magic
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bank — for money
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. spell — a short time

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