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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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 — child
  2. ball — a great time
  3. file — a document
  4. degree — from a university
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. degree — temperature
  20. file — a line of people
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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