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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: pitcher · dip · press · wound · object · firm · key · cue

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. press — to push
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. firm — steady
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — to protest
  9. cue — a signal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — decided
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. object — an aim
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — an injury
  23. cue — for pool
  24. key — in music

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