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

Word bank: racket · dip · kid · band · cap · straw · suit · perch

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. band — a music group
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kid — child
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cap — of ice
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a ring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. cap — a lid
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — to fit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cap — a hat
  17. kid — to tease
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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