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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 120 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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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: rock · rest · press · stick · deal · pop · chair · racket

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. pop — music
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pop — soda
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rock — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — a break
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rock — a stone
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. press — to push
  24. racket — for tennis

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