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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — child
  5. club — a group
  6. key — in music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. club — for dancing
  14. season — of the year
  15. club — for golf
  16. drill — the tool
  17. pitch — completely
  18. season — in sport
  19. pit — a hole
  20. key — for a lock
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. drill — army training

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