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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ground — a position
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. ground — crushed
  9. swing — in golf
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rock — a stone
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rock — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. press — to push

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