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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: deal · fan · land · chair · nail · ruler · squash · jam

  1. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — to handle
  12. squash — the sport
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. land — to come down
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. nail — for a hammer

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