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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. mine — for digging
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — a line
  8. track — a song
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. object — an aim
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. capital — money
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. capital — a city
  20. track — to keep track
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — a path
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. object — a thing

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