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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. game — a match
  6. rush — hurry
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — tied together
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bound — obliged
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to click
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. game — a kind of play

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