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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. kid — child
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bear — the animal
  15. band — a ring
  16. pit — a hole
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. kid — to tease
  19. date — the fruit
  20. band — a music group
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — bread
  24. bat — for baseball

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