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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bat — the animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. can — to be able to
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bank — for money
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bank — for money
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — to tease

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