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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. capital — a city
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. club — a group
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cue — for pool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cue — a hint
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — of ice
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. drill — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. club — for golf

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