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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
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: chair · shower · press · pitcher · bay · foot · ball · lean

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. press — to push
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — newspapers
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. shower — rain
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. foot — part of the body

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