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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pound — a weight
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. key — for a lock
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chair — a leader
  19. key — in music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cap — a lid

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