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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 · row · firm · foot · stick · game · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. season — of the year
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — a company
  9. chair — a leader
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — steady
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. game — a match
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — decided
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — a measure

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