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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: rule · straw · board · can · kid · pit · hand · toast

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hand — help
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. kid — to tease
  12. toast — bread
  13. kid — child
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. can — a tin
  18. rule — government
  19. board — a committee
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pit — in a race
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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