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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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Word bank
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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: mine · pound · net · chair · cap · wound · toast · object

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cap — of ice
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. net — after costs
  6. wound — an injury
  7. net — for catching
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — bread
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. object — to protest
  20. net — in sport
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mine — for digging

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