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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: net · chair · press · jam · pass · key · pound · arm

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. key — for a lock
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — to push
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. key — the most important part
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. key — in music
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — 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