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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — a publisher
  3. last — to go on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. last — finally
  6. bass — low music
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — clothes
  11. march — the month
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. last — final
  20. chair — a leader
  21. march — the month
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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