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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: fork · toast · last · foot · chair · firm · ruler · rash

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — steady
  3. last — to go on
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. last — final
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. firm — a company
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — a series
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — finally
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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