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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. present — there
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — the time now
  5. stem — to come from
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. toast — bread
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. present — a gift
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. roll — a list
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. kid — child
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. roll — a cake
  24. wound — an injury

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