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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. chair — a professorship
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spring — a coil
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — of water
  7. degree — an amount
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — temperature
  17. spring — the season
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. degree — from a university
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chair — a leader
  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