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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: squash · press · firm · track · spring · racket · pound · ground

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — to keep track
  9. firm — decided
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. track — a song
  21. ground — a position
  22. firm — steady
  23. spring — of water
  24. pound — a weight

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