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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: bay · tear · ruler · coach · present · kid · field · chair

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — the time now
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. field — for sport
  9. kid — child
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. field — farmland
  17. tear — to rip
  18. present — there
  19. tear — from crying
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. kid — to tease
  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