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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 · board · root · straw · charge · capital · ruler · object

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — in control
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. capital — a city
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. charge — a price
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. charge — electricity
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — a leader
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — money
  23. object — a thing
  24. board — a committee

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