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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. march — the month
  5. scale — in music
  6. kid — child
  7. land — ground
  8. march — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. scale — size or range
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — to rob
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. firm — steady
  18. mug — a face
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — after costs
  21. firm — decided
  22. land — a country
  23. firm — a company
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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