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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a hat
  4. field — a subject
  5. bound — obliged
  6. field — farmland
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rule — a law
  9. field — for sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. branch — a division
  12. sharp — clever
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — a lid
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cap — of ice
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. sharp — with an edge

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