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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 124 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fine — all right
  6. degree — from a university
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — an aim
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — to protest
  12. kid — child
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. object — a thing
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bulb — for light

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