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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: dip · chair · ruler · field · land · degree · march · suit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. land — a country
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. suit — clothes
  8. dip — to sink
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — farmland
  11. degree — from a university
  12. field — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. chair — a leader
  21. degree — temperature
  22. suit — in cards
  23. land — to come down
  24. ruler — for measuring

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