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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 · ruler · ground · row · safe · race

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — a contest
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. race — the arms race
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. race — humankind
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel

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