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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 116 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
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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: chair · press · board · spell · court · calf · march · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. court — for sport
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. court — of law
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. press — to push
  9. board — a committee
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. court — of a king
  16. march — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. march — the month
  22. chair — a leader
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. board — a flat piece

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