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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: mouse · mark · cabinet · current · cap · key · pound · straw

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. cap — of ice
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. key — the most important part
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. key — in music
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cap — a lid
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. current — of water
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — electric
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — a weight

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