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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 · dip · object · ruler · firm · tube · board · hand

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. object — a thing
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. board — a committee
  8. object — to protest
  9. hand — in cards
  10. board — to get on
  11. firm — decided
  12. hand — help
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. dip — to sink
  17. object — an aim
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. firm — a company
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — steady
  24. tube — a container

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