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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: drill · degree · press · present · firm · coach · pass · squash

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pass — a permit
  6. firm — steady
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — an amount
  9. drill — army training
  10. degree — temperature
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. degree — from a university
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. present — the time now
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. firm — decided
  19. press — a publisher
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — a company

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