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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — a measure
  5. pop — soda
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pop — music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — child
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bore — to drill
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. sharp — exactly

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