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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: deal · cap · game · perch · bound · present · kid · object

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kid — child
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. object — a thing
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — to protest
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. perch — the fish
  12. present — there
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. present — the time now
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a match
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cap — a lid
  22. present — a gift
  23. bound — certain
  24. object — an aim

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