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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. charge — in control
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. rule — a law
  9. chair — a leader
  10. charge — a price
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — government
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. charge — electricity
  22. staff — employees
  23. craft — boats
  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