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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: squash · ball · pass · file · press · deal · rest · pop

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pass — a permit
  3. rest — a break
  4. pop — soda
  5. squash — the sport
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. file — a tool
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a document
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — to visit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rest — what's left
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — to push
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pop — music
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. squash — the vegetable

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