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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: coach · squash · pitcher · degree · bank · mark · pass · press

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bank — for money
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mark — a trace
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pass — a permit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. degree — an amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bank — of a river
  23. press — to push
  24. bank — for money

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