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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
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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: key · ball · fine · chair · toast · pitcher · press · jam

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chair — a leader
  4. key — in music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ball — a dance
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — a publisher
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. press — to push
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fine — all right
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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