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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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. kid — to tease
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. last — final
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. kid — child
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. pitch — completely
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. last — finally
  19. last — to go on
  20. charge — a price
  21. stand — to bear
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chair — a professorship

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