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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — a hat
  3. ground — a position
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. kid — to tease
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. mate — a friend
  8. scale — size or range
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — in music
  11. ground — crushed
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mate — a partner
  24. kid — child

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