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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: drill · snap · ball · kid · fine · pit · pound · hide

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — a practice
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. snap — to click
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. drill — army training
  16. pound — a weight
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — all right
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. ball — a dance
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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