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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · clip · suit · pitcher · staff · kid · cabinet · foot

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. foot — a measure
  4. clip — a video
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. suit — to fit
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. staff — a stick
  14. suit — in cards
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — clothes
  17. clip — to cut
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — to tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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