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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: arm · chair · jam · dip · band · rule · fine · pound

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rule — a law
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. rule — government
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — all right
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a music group
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. arm — part of the body

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