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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 120 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: pass · ball · firm · field · trunk · press · squash · suit

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. field — a subject
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. field — for sport
  5. firm — decided
  6. press — a publisher
  7. squash — the sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. field — farmland
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — to push
  13. pass — a permit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. firm — steady
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. press — newspapers
  20. squash — to crush
  21. ball — a dance
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ball — a round shape

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