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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: cabinet · ruler · jam · fine · root · chair · key · pound

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pound — a weight
  9. root — the cause
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. root — of a plant
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a word
  16. key — in music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — for a lock
  20. fine — high quality
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. key — the most important part

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