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

Word bank: board · stick · degree · ruler · chair · coach

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. 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. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. degree — from a university
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. board — to get on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. board — a committee
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. 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