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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — a container
  4. hand — help
  5. rock — a stone
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rock — music
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wound — an injury
  12. current — of water
  13. game — wild animals
  14. tube — the underground
  15. current — electric
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — happening now
  23. game — a match
  24. rock — to move gently

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