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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.

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: press · court · leaves · chair · arm · craft · swing · charge

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. court — of law
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. court — of a king
  9. press — a publisher
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. swing — to play on
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. press — to push
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. court — for sport
  21. press — newspapers
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  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