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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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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. capital — money
  3. rule — a law
  4. game — a match
  5. rule — government
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bound — certain
  9. rash — a series
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. object — a thing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kid — child
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. kid — to tease
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — hasty

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