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

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. key — in music
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. net — in sport
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — for a lock
  12. file — a document
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. net — for catching
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. 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