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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cap — a lid
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cap — of ice
  5. content — the amount
  6. cap — a hat
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. content — happy
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. row — to paddle
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — a weight
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. key — the most important part

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