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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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Word bank
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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 · toast · ruler · squash · bowl · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — the sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. toast — bread
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — the most admired

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