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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rule — a law
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rule — government
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bat — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — completely
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rule — to rule out

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