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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. dip — to sink
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. kid — child
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. file — a line of people
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — in sport
  17. club — for golf
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a document
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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