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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 · tube · board · stick · pound · mine · court · ruler

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. court — of law
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. board — to get on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. court — for sport
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — the underground
  23. court — of a king
  24. ruler — for measuring

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