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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. capital — a city
  12. bound — tied together
  13. capital — money
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. branch — a division
  17. wake — a trail
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — certain
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bound — obliged
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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