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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · saw · club · band · fine · press · coach · squash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. club — a group
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — the sport
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — for dancing
  13. press — a publisher
  14. band — a ring
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — high quality
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — to crush
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pit — in a race
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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