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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. 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. root — of a word
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kid — child
  6. row — a line
  7. firm — a company
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pound — a weight
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. firm — decided
  22. charge — in control
  23. cap — a hat
  24. 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