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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — to push
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ball — a dance
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. rash — a series
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. chair — a leader
  15. object — to protest
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. object — an aim
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. jam — a tight spot

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