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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — happening now
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. current — of water
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — electric
  19. kid — child
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kid — to tease
  22. mate — to breed
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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