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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 120 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: vault · stand · press · field · staff · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. press — a publisher
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — to push
  5. field — farmland
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. staff — a stick
  11. press — newspapers
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. field — a subject
  15. court — of law
  16. staff — employees
  17. vault — a safe
  18. stand — on your feet

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