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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: chair · press · drill · perch · charge · coach · jam · vault

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. charge — electricity
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. press — to push
  10. perch — the fish
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. drill — a practice
  16. vault — a safe
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. chair — a leader
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. charge — a price
  22. drill — army training
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. charge — in control

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