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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 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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lie — to recline
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bank — for money

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