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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. game — wild animals
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. suit — clothes
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a match
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — to fit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. plane — a tool
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. game — a kind of play

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