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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bear — the animal
  4. hand — help
  5. kid — child
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — to come down
  9. kid — to tease
  10. land — a country
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — a hole
  16. bear — the animal
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. craft — boats
  21. pit — in a race
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. hand — part of the body

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