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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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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 · lean · bark · coach · bowl · ruler · bear · degree

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. degree — an amount
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lean — thin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. degree — from a university
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — a football final

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