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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. kid — to tease
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. kid — child
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. key — in music
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. band — a ring
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. club — a group
  19. band — a music group
  20. key — for a lock
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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