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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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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: rule · chair · club · present · plane · saw

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — there
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. present — a gift
  7. saw — the tool
  8. club — for dancing
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rule — a law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rule — government
  15. chair — a leader
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. club — for golf
  18. plane — a tool

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