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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pound — a weight
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. kid — to tease
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. fine — all right
  17. object — an aim
  18. net — for catching
  19. chair — a leader
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. kid — child

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