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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: rush · rule · root · pitcher · stand · current · chair · arm

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — of water
  3. root — the cause
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. stand — to bear
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. current — electric
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rule — government
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — hurry
  21. root — of a word
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

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