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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: mug · mine · ruler · present · chair · capital · scale · root

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. present — the time now
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — money
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. present — there
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. root — of a word
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. capital — a city
  23. present — a gift
  24. mug — a face

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