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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — an aim
  3. club — for golf
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. club — for dancing
  6. root — the cause
  7. rule — government
  8. root — of a word
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pound — a weight
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kid — child
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kid — to tease
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. object — to protest
  20. rule — a law
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. object — a thing
  23. club — a group
  24. fork — in a road

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