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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · chair · bowl · cue · pound · ruler

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. content — the amount
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cue — a hint
  10. content — happy
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bowl — a football final

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