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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: chair · branch · foot · ruler · deal · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. branch — a division
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. deal — to handle
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. present — the time now
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. present — a gift

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