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

Word bank: mate · firm · ruler · chair · track · kid

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a friend
  5. firm — a company
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — a song
  8. kid — child
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. firm — steady
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. firm — decided
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chair — a leader
  18. ruler — a monarch

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