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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cap — a hat
  7. can — a tin
  8. cap — of ice
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. sharp — clever
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. court — for sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — of law
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. can — a tin

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