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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bat — the animal
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. board — to get on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — to play on
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. drill — the tool
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — a committee
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. rule — government
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chair — a leader
  22. drill — a practice
  23. rule — a law
  24. board — a flat piece

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