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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: hand · ruler · chair · suit · cue · spring · track · calf

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. chair — a leader
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cue — a hint
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — help
  19. track — a song
  20. suit — in cards
  21. track — to keep track
  22. spring — a coil
  23. track — a path
  24. calf — a young animal

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