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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: chair · object · club · wake · press · toast · band · bore

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. press — a publisher
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. band — a music group
  9. object — to protest
  10. band — a ring
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chair — a leader
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — a thing
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. object — an aim
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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