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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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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. tear — from crying
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. capital — money
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rule — a law
  14. capital — a city
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rule — to rule out

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