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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 · fork · chair · mate · wave · chest · bowl · press

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chest — of your body
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chest — of your body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. chest — a box
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mate — a partner

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