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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. bound — certain
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. pound — a weight
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — the amount
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. content — happy
  23. firm — decided
  24. bound — obliged

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