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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. race — humankind
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kid — to tease
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — the arms race
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — the earth
  23. race — a contest
  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