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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: kid · present · mine · bound · pop · plane · mouse · pit

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. present — a gift
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bound — certain
  7. kid — child
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. present — there
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — soda
  20. pit — a hole
  21. present — the time now
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — in a race
  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