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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
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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: hand · rule · firm · chair · degree · suit · ruler · pitch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  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. hand — help
  2. firm — a company
  3. pitch — completely
  4. suit — to fit
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — in cards
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. firm — steady
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. firm — decided
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. rule — a law
  17. degree — from a university
  18. hand — in cards
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. degree — an amount
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. degree — temperature
  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