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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. drill — army training
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. rock — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of a king
  12. current — happening now
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. current — electric
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pitch — completely
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — of ice
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. court — of law
  24. court — for sport

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