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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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Word bank
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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: deal · safe · arm · nail · pop · kid · court · bore

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — for sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to tire
  16. deal — to handle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. court — of a king
  24. bore — to drill

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