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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. can — to be able to
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. scale — size or range
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bound — certain
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. kid — child
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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