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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
468
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: sharp · rash · game · ruler · cap · chair · foot · dip

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cap — a lid
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — clever
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. foot — a measure
  24. chair — a professorship

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