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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. kick — in football
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. charge — a price
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cold — an illness
  16. charge — electricity
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cap — a hat
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — in control
  23. craft — boats
  24. cap — of ice

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