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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.

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: leaves · file · board · bat · perch · kid · cabinet · game

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. board — to get on
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. kid — child
  11. file — a document
  12. bat — the animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. perch — the fish
  15. game — wild animals
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. game — a match

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