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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. season — of the year
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. object — to protest
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bass — low music
  16. bound — certain
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. cold — an illness
  22. object — an aim
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bass — the fish

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