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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.

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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. chip — to eat
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — a weight
  10. drill — the tool
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. drill — a practice
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. drill — army training
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chip — for betting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — for measuring

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