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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: chair · mark · ruler · mate · pop · root · season · trunk

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mate — a friend
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — in sport
  10. mark — a grade
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mark — a trace
  13. root — of a word
  14. pop — music
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. pop — soda
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — to breed

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