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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
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: chair · perch · can · press · date · stick · jam · charge

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — a publisher
  7. date — the fruit
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — the fish
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — in control
  21. press — to push
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — to be able to
  24. date — on the calendar

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