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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kid — to tease
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — electric
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. scale — in music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — child
  20. current — happening now
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. sharp — exactly

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