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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · bowl · press · pass · arm · chair

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — to push
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bowl — to roll

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