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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. capital — money
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — bread
  6. press — to push
  7. capital — a city
  8. pound — a weight
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. press — a publisher
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. press — newspapers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — a sick person

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