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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 116 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: mate · content · squash · ruler · drill · present · chair · kick

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. drill — army training
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. kick — in football
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. squash — the sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mate — a partner
  21. present — a gift
  22. content — happy
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. content — the amount

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