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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · object · press · ground · chair · arm · scale · roll

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. 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. ground — the earth
  2. object — a thing
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. object — to protest
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — an aim
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. press — a publisher
  13. roll — a cake
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — a position
  19. roll — a list
  20. chair — a leader
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. 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