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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. root — of a word
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. kid — child
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. root — the cause
  9. mug — to rob
  10. ball — a great time
  11. staff — employees
  12. game — a match
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — a cup
  15. root — of a plant
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — to tease
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a face
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. staff — employees
  22. spring — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. ball — a dance

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