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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. kid — to tease
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — employees
  6. ball — a great time
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fork — in a road
  11. staff — a stick
  12. field — for sport
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kid — child
  15. ball — a dance
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. club — a group
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — farmland

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