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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 116 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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. capital — money
  6. tube — a container
  7. rash — hasty
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. board — a committee
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — to get on
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. tube — the underground
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rash — a series
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mine — for digging
  22. capital — a city
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mine — an explosive

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