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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. press — a publisher
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a dance
  11. press — newspapers
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chip — for betting
  14. press — to push
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. pass — a permit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. perch — the fish

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