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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: pit · club · plane · press · mine · squash · firm · toast

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. club — for dancing
  3. firm — steady
  4. squash — the sport
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. squash — to crush
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. firm — decided
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pit — a hole
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. club — for golf
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — bread
  24. press — a publisher

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