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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 124 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. drill — army training
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — of the year
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pound — a weight
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. kid — to tease
  24. racket — a loud noise

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