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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fine — all right
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. content — the amount
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — a lid
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — child
  23. cap — a hat
  24. content — happy

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