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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. cap — a lid
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. plane — a tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — clothes
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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