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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. field — for sport
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kick — in football
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. field — a subject
  17. pop — soda
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pop — music
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cue — a hint
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. cue — for pool
  24. kick — with a leg

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