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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.

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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: suit · press · chair · board · present · jam · rush · calf

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. present — the time now
  3. suit — to fit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a leader
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. press — a publisher
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. suit — clothes
  10. press — to push
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. press — newspapers
  13. rush — hurry
  14. present — there
  15. board — a committee
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — to get on
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. suit — in cards
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rush — a thrill

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