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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · bore · object · mouse · perch · season · kid · deal

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. object — to protest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. kid — to tease
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. kid — child
  22. perch — the fish
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bulb — of a plant

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