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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · stick · file · pound · stand · cap

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. file — a document
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. stand — to bear

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