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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 120 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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. scale — size or range
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bear — the animal
  6. craft — boats
  7. scale — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — a country
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — a hat
  18. land — to come down
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. land — ground
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. chair — a professorship

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