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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: roll · press · board · jam · rule · last · mouse · chair

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. press — to push
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. roll — a list
  10. chair — a leader
  11. press — a publisher
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. press — newspapers
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. board — a committee
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. last — final
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mouse — for a computer

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