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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: kid · squash · press · current · cue · ground · suit · arm

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ground — the earth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. current — electric
  8. squash — the sport
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. current — happening now
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cue — a signal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. squash — to crush
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ground — crushed
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ground — a position
  23. kid — child
  24. current — of water

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