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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: race · chair · drill · prune · pass · press

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. drill — a practice
  7. press — to push
  8. race — the arms race
  9. pass — a permit
  10. race — a contest
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. prune — to trim
  18. race — humankind

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