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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. season — of the year
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — child
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. kid — to tease
  10. scale — in music
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. season — in sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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