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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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468
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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ground — crushed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. face — to confront
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. craft — boats
  9. craft — a skill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — a position
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — a tin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. kid — child
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fork — in a road

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