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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. chair — a leader
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. press — to push
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — a trail
  15. press — newspapers
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. drill — a practice
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. press — a publisher

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