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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kid — to tease
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. chip — for betting
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — to eat
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. kid — child
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pitch — completely

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