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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: cue · press · spell · present · chair · march

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — the time now
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a leader
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. present — a gift
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spell — magic
  12. march — the month
  13. present — there
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — letters
  18. press — a publisher

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