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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. mug — to rob
  3. race — the arms race
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. race — a contest
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pound — a weight
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kid — child
  19. mug — a face
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. race — humankind
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. stem — to come from
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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