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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fine — high quality
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. board — to get on
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kid — child
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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