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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: deal · capital · press · squash · pass · cue · key · field

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pass — a permit
  3. capital — money
  4. field — for sport
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. capital — a city
  9. key — for a lock
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — farmland
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. field — a subject
  16. cue — a hint
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. press — to push
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. key — in music
  21. squash — the sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cue — for pool
  24. press — a publisher

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