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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 120 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fine — all right
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pound — a weight
  16. capital — a city
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — money
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. pit — a hole

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