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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — shares
  7. cap — a hat
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mug — to rob
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stock — goods
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — a cup
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pound — a weight
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cap — of ice

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