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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mug · racket · object · chest · ruler · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. chest — of your body
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — to protest
  5. chest — a box
  6. kid — to tease
  7. mug — a cup
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mug — a face
  13. kid — child
  14. mug — to rob
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis

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