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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: ruler · drill · club · band · bulb · mate · chair · wake

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for dancing
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — for golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. drill — army training
  12. band — a music group
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. club — a group
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. band — a ring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — a leader

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