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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. band — a ring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chair — a leader
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. band — a music group
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stand — to bear
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — a cup
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a face
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. plane — in geometry

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