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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kid — child
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — the animal
  9. root — of a word
  10. club — for golf
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. game — a match
  14. root — of a plant
  15. club — a group
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. stand — to bear
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. root — the cause
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. club — for dancing

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