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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: pass · drill · mine · chair · press · stock · cue · present

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. press — to push
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pass — a permit
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. present — a gift
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. drill — army training
  16. present — the time now
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — shares
  20. press — a publisher
  21. present — there
  22. stock — goods
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pass — to succeed

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