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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cue — a hint
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. land — a country
  7. scale — in music
  8. rest — a break
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cue — a signal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. land — ground
  24. cue — for pool

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