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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. kid — to tease
  4. net — for catching
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. net — after costs
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. charge — in control
  17. present — the time now
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. charge — electricity
  21. net — in sport
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — ministers

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