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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — bread
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. content — the amount
  5. rash — hasty
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. press — to push
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. content — happy
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rash — a series
  18. jam — in traffic

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