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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — a lid
  4. capital — a city
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. firm — decided
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ground — the earth
  13. court — for sport
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. capital — money
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — a company
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — steady
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ground — crushed

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