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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. scale — size or range
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rock — a stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. charge — in control
  13. press — a publisher
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. charge — a price
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chip — for betting
  19. charge — electricity
  20. rock — music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. scale — in music
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. chip — in a computer

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