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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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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: scale · tube · race · chair · root · game · ruler · present

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. scale — in music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — a leader
  7. present — a gift
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. game — a match
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — the cause
  13. present — the time now
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. root — of a plant
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. scale — size or range
  18. race — the arms race
  19. race — a contest
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. root — of a word
  22. game — wild animals
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. race — humankind

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