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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: snap · jam · roll · press · chair · pitcher · safe · court

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — of law
  5. press — to push
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chair — a leader
  8. roll — a cake
  9. court — of a king
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. court — for sport
  12. press — a publisher
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. roll — a list
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to click
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — newspapers
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. roll — on a roll

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