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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 124 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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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. land — ground
  4. degree — temperature
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. degree — an amount
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. land — a country
  20. degree — from a university
  21. land — to come down
  22. ball — a great time
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — a loud noise

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