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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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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: game · kid · bulb · staff · race · mine · fine · kick

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. kick — in football
  6. staff — employees
  7. kid — child
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. fine — all right
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a match
  24. fine — high quality

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