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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pit — in a race
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kid — to tease
  8. charge — electricity
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. ground — a position
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. kick — in football
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. arm — a part of something

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