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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — army training
  12. bank — for money
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wind — moving air
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. drill — a practice

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