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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. hand — help
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. firm — steady
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kid — child
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — in cards
  19. ball — a great time
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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