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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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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: bear · ruler · plane · coach · chair · ball · net · race

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ball — a great time
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. race — a contest
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. net — in sport
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. race — humankind
  18. plane — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ball — a dance
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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