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

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bound — certain
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — a hat
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pound — for dogs

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