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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: press · tube · racket · saw · fork · chair · suit · bay

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chair — a leader
  17. press — newspapers
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — to push
  24. fork — to eat with

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