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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — certain
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. scale — size or range
  8. kid — child
  9. mark — a grade
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bound — tied together
  14. object — to protest
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. kid — to tease
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. sharp — clever

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