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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pop — music
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — electric
  9. cap — a lid
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. board — to get on
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — soda
  19. bear — the animal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. ground — the earth
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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