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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 116 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: press · ground · spring · ball · pitch · cabinet · key · pass

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spring — of water
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ground — a position
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ball — a great time

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