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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. pop — soda
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pop — music
  6. last — to go on
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — in a road
  11. march — the month
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. march — the month
  16. march — music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. cap — of ice
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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