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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. kid — child
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. mug — a face
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. game — a match
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. scale — in music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. dip — to sink

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