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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pound — a weight
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — farmland
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — a subject
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. face — to confront
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — in cards
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. field — for sport
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. face — part of the head

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