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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: chair · field · suit · degree · ruler · season · track · rest

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. degree — an amount
  5. track — a path
  6. season — in sport
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. suit — to fit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — a subject
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. degree — temperature
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rest — a break
  16. field — farmland
  17. rest — what's left
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — from a university
  22. suit — in cards
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — of the year

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