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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pop — soda
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — music
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. chair — a leader

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