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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. cap — a hat
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cap — of ice
  8. suit — clothes
  9. kid — child
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. chip — to eat
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rest — a break
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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