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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 116 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: rule · season · kid · pitcher · stick · tube · staff · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. staff — employees
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — in sport
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. perch — the fish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. staff — a stick
  22. kid — child
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — in a tire

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