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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: tube · cap · fine · track · straw · mouse · kid · patient

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. cap — a lid
  4. tube — the underground
  5. track — a song
  6. fine — all right
  7. track — a path
  8. cap — of ice
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fine — high quality
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kid — to tease
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — a hat
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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