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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. track — to keep track
  3. season — of the year
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — size or range
  12. branch — a division
  13. kid — to tease
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — in music
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. kid — child
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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