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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. land — ground
  5. rule — a law
  6. land — a country
  7. charge — in control
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. cap — of ice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. cap — a hat
  13. land — to come down
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. saw — the tool
  17. charge — a price
  18. squash — the sport
  19. charge — electricity
  20. staff — employees
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. cap — a lid
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rule — government

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