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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — in a race
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bound — certain
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stand — for spectators

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