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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: press · net · present · squash · cue · suit · jam · spring

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — a publisher
  3. spring — of water
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. suit — clothes
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. net — after costs
  8. press — to push
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. squash — to crush
  13. cue — a hint
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — there
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cue — for pool
  18. net — in sport
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spring — the season
  21. suit — to fit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. net — for catching
  24. present — a gift

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