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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. scale — size or range
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — a permit
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. season — in sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kid — to tease
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. season — of the year

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