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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. squash — the sport
  3. land — a country
  4. can — a tin
  5. deal — to handle
  6. kid — child
  7. land — to come down
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — a city
  10. kid — to tease
  11. face — to point toward
  12. land — ground
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. capital — money
  19. squash — to crush
  20. face — part of the head
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to confront
  24. foot — the bottom

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