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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: chair · cue · pit · press · arm · vault

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cue — a hint
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pit — in a race
  8. cue — for pool
  9. press — to push
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. vault — a safe
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. arm — a part of something

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