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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. track — a path
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cue — a signal
  9. present — there
  10. track — a song
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. present — a gift
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. drill — the tool
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cue — a hint
  22. kid — child
  23. present — the time now
  24. chair — to sit on

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