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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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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 · track · press · tube · stick · ruler · chair · kid

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chair — a leader
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. tube — the underground
  7. track — a path
  8. track — a song
  9. tube — a container
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. press — a publisher
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kid — child
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. track — to keep track
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chair — a professorship

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