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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. rest — what's left
  5. capital — money
  6. drill — the tool
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for dancing
  13. capital — a city
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. rest — what's left
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — a leader
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rest — a break

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