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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — child
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. chip — to eat
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. kid — to tease
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. fine — high quality

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