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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. object — to protest
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a city
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. object — a thing
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pop — to visit
  15. capital — money
  16. court — of a king
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of law
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. mug — a face
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — soda

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