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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. cap — of ice
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — steady
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. sharp — clever
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. field — for sport
  20. firm — a company
  21. cap — a hat
  22. field — farmland
  23. toast — bread
  24. field — a subject

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