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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. track — a song
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. kid — to tease
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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