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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — army training
  3. field — a subject
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. drill — a practice
  16. field — farmland
  17. chip — for betting
  18. mug — a face
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. kid — child
  21. perch — the fish
  22. mug — a cup
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kid — to tease

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