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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. suit — in cards
  3. kid — child
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — there
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. present — a gift
  8. suit — to fit
  9. root — the cause
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. root — of a word
  17. present — the time now
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. root — of a plant
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mug — a face
  22. staff — employees
  23. hand — help
  24. staff — employees

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