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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: pitcher · lash · dip · foot · chair · court · stand · press

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. press — to push
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — a leader
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. court — of law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — a publisher
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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