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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: net · season · press · degree · saw · coach · squash · safe

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. squash — to crush
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — a publisher
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. press — to push
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — temperature
  9. press — newspapers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. net — for catching
  13. degree — from a university
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. degree — an amount
  19. net — after costs
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — of the year
  22. squash — the sport
  23. season — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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