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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — for light
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. kid — child
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. pitch — completely
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. dip — to sink
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — a box
  24. pitcher — a jug

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