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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.

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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: bat · cap · cue · kid · bear · bound · season · rush

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cue — a signal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rush — hurry
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. season — in sport
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bound — certain
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kid — to tease
  24. season — of the year

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