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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: wave · pitcher · chair · deal · club · ruler

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — a group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. club — for dancing
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chair — to sit on

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