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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cue — a signal
  5. snap — to click
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. press — to push
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. march — music
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — boats
  21. cue — for pool
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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