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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ground — the earth
  12. cap — a hat
  13. ground — a position
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — crushed
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season

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