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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: key · ground · kid · ball · press · squash · pitch · kick

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. kid — to tease
  5. key — in music
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ball — a dance
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ground — a position
  11. kid — child
  12. key — for a lock
  13. kick — in football
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ground — crushed
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — to push
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ball — a great time
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. press — newspapers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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