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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pound — a weight
  3. present — there
  4. court — of a king
  5. staff — employees
  6. file — a document
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. can — to be able to
  10. chair — a leader
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. object — an aim
  14. file — a line of people
  15. can — a tin
  16. court — for sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. court — of law
  19. staff — a stick
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. present — the time now
  23. object — a thing
  24. chair — to sit on

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