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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — army training
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kid — child
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. content — happy
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. content — the amount
  19. kid — to tease
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. drill — a practice
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ruler — for measuring

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