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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — to push
  7. bound — obliged
  8. present — there
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — help
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — in a race
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a leader
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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