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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — rain
  8. kid — child
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — a hole
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — a division
  24. prune — the fruit

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