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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. land — a country
  5. kid — child
  6. land — ground
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rock — music
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. kid — to tease
  17. land — to come down
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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