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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — the most important part
  4. land — to come down
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. key — in music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cabinet — a cupboard

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