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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. degree — from a university
  5. staff — employees
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mug — a face
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. degree — temperature
  13. deal — to handle
  14. rash — hasty
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mug — a cup
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ruler — for measuring

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