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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: bat · court · row · chair · current · ruler · rock · squash

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. 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. ruler — for measuring
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. squash — to crush
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. row — to paddle
  10. current — of water
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. court — of law
  13. squash — the sport
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. current — happening now
  17. court — for sport
  18. bat — the animal
  19. court — of a king
  20. rock — music
  21. row — a line
  22. current — electric
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. 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