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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cap — a hat
  8. stock — goods
  9. drill — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. cap — of ice
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. stock — shares
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. fall — to drop

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