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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bound — tied together
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bound — obliged
  11. kid — child
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bound — certain
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — in music
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. perch — the fish

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