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

Word bank: key · capital · sharp · chip · tear · tube · pound · ruler

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. tear — to rip
  8. chip — for betting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. key — the most important part
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pound — a weight
  13. tube — the underground
  14. capital — a city
  15. chip — to eat
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. capital — money
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. key — in music
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. capital — a big letter

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