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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. fall — to drop
  5. field — farmland
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — from a university
  8. suit — clothes
  9. field — a subject
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — for sport
  13. cap — of ice
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. degree — an amount
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mug — a face
  23. degree — temperature
  24. cap — a hat

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