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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 second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. cell — in biology
  3. capital — a city
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. present — a gift
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. present — there
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. row — a line
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — the time now
  24. row — to paddle

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