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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. kid — child
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chip — to eat
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. squash — to crush
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. chip — for betting
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — part of the body

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