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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. kid — child
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. perch — the fish
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — a city
  13. mate — to breed
  14. ball — a dance
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — money
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kid — to tease

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