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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cap — a hat
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — finally
  8. kid — child
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — in biology
  11. season — in sport
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. kid — to tease
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. season — of the year
  17. cap — of ice
  18. content — happy
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. content — the amount
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ruler — a monarch

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