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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kid — child
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — a group
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. perch — the fish
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. club — for golf
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. ball — a great time
  23. club — for dancing
  24. hide — to keep secret

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