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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · rush · degree · chair · ruler · board

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. rest — what's left
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chair — a leader
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature

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