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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like 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. coach — a trainer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. chip — for betting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. plane — a tool
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. present — a gift
  11. spring — of water
  12. present — there
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. sharp — clever
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spring — a coil
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. kid — child
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. present — the time now
  22. spring — the season
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — to tease

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