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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: stand · chair · game · press · ruler · pitch · bulb · fine

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fine — high quality
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. press — a publisher
  8. fine — all right
  9. press — to push
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a match
  18. stand — to bear
  19. press — newspapers
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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