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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: coach · race · pit · lean · can · press · bulb · chair

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. press — to push
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chair — a leader
  7. can — to be able to
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — a tin
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. can — a tin
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. race — a contest
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lean — thin
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — a trainer

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