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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. capital — a city
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stock — shares
  5. face — part of the head
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. face — to confront
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stock — goods
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — money
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cap — a lid
  20. pound — a weight
  21. cap — of ice
  22. face — to point toward
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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