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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — hasty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — for betting
  12. kid — to tease
  13. track — a path
  14. drill — a practice
  15. track — a song
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. drill — army training
  21. rash — a series
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. drill — the tool

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