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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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — for catching
  3. bear — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. kid — to tease
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — after costs
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — a permit
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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