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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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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: chair · tear · perch · deal · ruler · ground

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ground — the earth
  6. tear — to rip
  7. ground — crushed
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. tear — from crying
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — a position
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird

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