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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: ball · rash · date · branch · bay · bound · can · kid

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — to tease
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ball — a great time
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. date — the fruit
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — a series
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a round shape

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