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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rule — a law
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kid — child
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. club — for golf
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. pitch — completely
  23. club — for dancing
  24. kid — to tease

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