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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. land — to come down
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — ground
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — for sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. land — a country
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of a king
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pass — a permit
  22. press — to push
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. court — of law

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