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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. staff — employees
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. season — in sport
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a great time
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. season — of the year
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. perch — the fish
  21. staff — employees
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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