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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mate — a friend
  10. press — newspapers
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. field — a subject
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a face
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rock — music
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mine — for digging

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