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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kid — child
  5. cap — of ice
  6. kid — to tease
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — a penalty

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