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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 116 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pit — in a race
  9. key — the most important part
  10. kid — child
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. key — in music
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. kid — to tease
  16. clip — a video
  17. club — for dancing
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. clip — to cut
  21. spring — of water
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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