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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · mate · stand · can · season · roll · chip · kid

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. roll — a cake
  3. stand — to bear
  4. kid — to tease
  5. mate — a friend
  6. roll — a list
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. kid — child
  9. can — to be able to
  10. season — in sport
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — of the year
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — to add flavour

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