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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. object — a thing
  4. object — to protest
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kick — in football
  8. object — an aim
  9. pit — in a race
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. content — happy
  21. pit — a hole
  22. content — the amount
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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