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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cap — of ice
  10. hand — help
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pound — a weight
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. cap — a lid
  24. coach — a trainer

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