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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — for catching
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. shower — to wash
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — after costs
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. net — in sport
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. shower — rain
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ground — crushed
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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