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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. kid — child
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hand — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pop — soda
  24. suit — clothes

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