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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. scale — size or range
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mark — a grade
  8. scale — in music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. last — finally
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — final
  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