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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — a lid
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — a stone

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