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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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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: chair · rule · perch · coach · cap · degree · content · ruler

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. degree — from a university
  4. perch — the fish
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. content — the amount
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rule — a law
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. content — happy
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cap — a lid
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rule — government
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chair — a leader
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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