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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — child
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kid — to tease
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bear — the animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to drill
  13. season — in sport
  14. ground — a position
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. season — of the year
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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