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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — to crush
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. can — a tin
  7. scale — size or range
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. can — to be able to
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — in music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. kid — to tease
  20. key — for a lock
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. can — a tin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. key — the most important part

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