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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — the amount
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. swing — in golf
  9. kid — child
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — to tease
  13. swing — music
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pass — a permit
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cue — a hint
  23. content — happy
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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