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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: rule · ruler · firm · saw · chair · pit

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. rule — government
  3. firm — steady
  4. chair — a leader
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. firm — decided
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. firm — a company
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rule — a law
  16. pit — a hole
  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