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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. staff — employees
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. vault — a safe
  9. race — a contest
  10. can — a tin
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — in cards
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — help
  17. can — a tin
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. race — humankind
  20. pitch — completely
  21. can — to be able to
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. race — the arms race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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