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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. press — to push
  4. board — to get on
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. press — a publisher
  11. kid — to tease
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. toast — bread
  22. board — a committee
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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