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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: tube · mate · season · bay · cap · kid · chip · perch

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. tube — a container
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cap — a hat
  9. chip — to eat
  10. perch — the fish
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chip — for betting
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cap — a lid
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. kid — child
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tube — the underground

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