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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pit — a hole
  3. last — to go on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. last — final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kid — child
  10. pop — soda
  11. key — in music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pop — music
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. kid — to tease
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. key — the most important part
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. last — finally

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