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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. scale — size or range
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pound — a weight
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rule — government
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. capital — a city
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rule — a law
  24. scale — in music

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