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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 120 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: fine · ruler · mouse · firm · chair · race · march · cell

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. race — humankind
  7. chair — a leader
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. firm — steady
  15. cell — a phone
  16. race — the arms race
  17. fine — all right
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. race — a contest
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. march — the month
  24. firm — decided

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