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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: last · vault · bass · coach · key · press · ground · squash

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. last — to go on
  3. press — newspapers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bass — low music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. press — a publisher
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. key — the most important part
  13. ground — crushed
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — final
  18. key — in music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. ground — a position
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ground — the earth
  24. press — to push

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