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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
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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: cue · squash · chest · press · arm · net · bulb · key

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — to push
  3. net — for catching
  4. chest — of your body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. squash — to crush
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. cue — a signal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. cue — for pool
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. key — in music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the sport
  24. net — in sport

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