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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. board — a committee
  4. tube — a container
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. face — part of the head
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a hole
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. face — to confront
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. rock — a stone
  19. board — to get on
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — music
  22. scale — in music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — the underground

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