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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: deal · ruler · chest · staff · content · pound

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. chest — of your body
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — to handle
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — a weight
  16. chest — of your body
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. chest — a box

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