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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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Word bank
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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: wake · ruler · date · jam · mine · arm · pound · object

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. object — an aim
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. date — the fruit
  20. object — to protest
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. object — a thing

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