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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. game — a match
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — finally
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. last — to go on
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — all right
  23. game — wild animals
  24. last — final

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