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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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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 · saw · lean · press · drill · wound · court · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. court — of law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. lean — to bend
  11. court — for sport
  12. drill — army training
  13. wound — an injury
  14. press — newspapers
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. lean — thin
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wound — an injury

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