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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 120 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: arm · fine · coach · chair · last · pit · pound · press

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — finally
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. pit — in a race
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. press — to push
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. last — final
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. press — a publisher
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fine — high quality
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. last — to go on
  24. pit — a hole

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