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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. can — to be able to
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — a match
  20. can — a tin
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — with your hand

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