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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cap · field · staff · spell · fork · cabinet · pound · can

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — letters
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cap — a hat
  14. spell — magic
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. cap — of ice
  21. can — to be able to
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. cap — a lid
  24. pound — for dogs

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