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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 116 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 · bear · kick · ruler · degree · bore · coach · board

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — to get on
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. board — a committee
  14. degree — an amount
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bore — to tire
  22. degree — temperature
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bear — to put up with

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