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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pop — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bound — obliged
  6. kid — to tease
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. bound — certain
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fork — in a road
  15. degree — temperature
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. degree — an amount
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pop — soda
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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