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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a line of people
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a document
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a music group

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