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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: jam · lie · chair · scale · can · row · press · pitch

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. can — a tin
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. scale — in music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. press — to push
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. can — a tin
  17. scale — size or range
  18. lie — to recline
  19. can — to be able to
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitch — completely

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