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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. capital — money
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pound — a weight
  7. rule — government
  8. wound — an injury
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. present — a gift
  16. capital — a city
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. scale — size or range
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. tear — from crying
  24. calf — a young animal

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