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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: lean · fork · club · season · cap · kid · bat · safe

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. season — in sport
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. season — of the year
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. kid — to tease
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cap — a hat
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cap — of ice
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. lean — thin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. club — a group
  24. lean — to bend

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