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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. last — to go on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. game — wild animals
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a dance
  10. last — final
  11. staff — a stick
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — to push
  18. game — a match
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ball — a great time
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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