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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pound — a weight
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — obliged
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. toast — bread
  24. deal — to handle

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