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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 · march · fall · craft · press · track

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. chair — a leader
  7. press — newspapers
  8. fall — the season
  9. track — a path
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fall — to drop
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — to keep track
  15. press — to push
  16. craft — a skill
  17. press — a publisher
  18. track — a song

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