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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. sharp — clever
  6. current — happening now
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. ball — a great time
  10. current — electric
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pit — in a race
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — of water
  22. kid — child
  23. ball — a dance
  24. sharp — with an edge

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