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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. suit — to fit
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cap — of ice
  14. suit — clothes
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cap — a lid
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cold — not warm
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. cap — a hat
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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