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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: squash · safe · pitcher · club · march · last · staff · press

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. press — to push
  3. staff — employees
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. last — final
  8. press — a publisher
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — finally
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for dancing
  14. squash — the sport
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. club — for golf
  18. march — music
  19. staff — employees
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. march — the month
  23. club — a group
  24. safe — a strongbox

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