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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pop — music
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. squash — to crush
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — child
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the sport
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. spring — of water
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pop — soda
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. hand — in cards
  17. spring — the season
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitch — completely
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. kid — to tease

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