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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. game — a match
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. land — ground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. land — to come down
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. land — a country
  19. game — wild animals
  20. branch — a division
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. scale — in music
  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