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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. spring — the season
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. cap — a hat
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cap — a lid
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. net — in sport
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. spring — of water
  20. pound — a weight
  21. net — after costs
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — a coil
  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