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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. ball — a great time
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. kid — child
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kid — to tease
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — a stick

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