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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. scale — in music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — a publisher
  11. staff — employees
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stock — shares
  14. scale — size or range
  15. tube — the underground
  16. press — to push
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. swing — in golf
  19. chair — a leader
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. swing — music
  22. stock — goods
  23. board — a committee
  24. board — to get on

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