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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: bowl · band · ruler · chair · tear · mug

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. tear — from crying
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. band — a ring
  8. tear — from crying
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. band — a music group
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mug — a cup
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mug — a face
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bowl — a dish

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