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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: march · bore · ruler · stand · roll · field · bulb · chair

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. roll — a list
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — the month
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bulb — for light
  20. field — farmland
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — for sport
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — a cake

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