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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: ruler · chair · board · chip · shower · straw

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — a committee
  5. chip — for betting
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chair — a leader
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. shower — rain
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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