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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. object — to protest
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ground — a position
  5. rock — a stone
  6. march — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bear — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. tube — a container
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rock — music
  18. kid — child
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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