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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. kid — child
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. chest — of your body
  8. present — the time now
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. present — there
  15. present — a gift
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. chest — of your body
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. chest — a box
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mine — belonging to me

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