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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: row · deal · race · kid · mug · present · cabinet · stick

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. present — there
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. deal — to handle
  7. race — a contest
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — a face
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mug — to rob
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. kid — to tease

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