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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. capital — money
  3. firm — a company
  4. rule — government
  5. march — music
  6. firm — steady
  7. bore — to drill
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — decided
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rule — a law
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. capital — a city
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pass — to succeed

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