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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. press — to push
  3. chair — a leader
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. present — the time now
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. scale — size or range
  14. race — humankind
  15. scale — in music
  16. current — electric
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — a contest
  20. present — a gift
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. present — there

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