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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: coach · cabinet · mouse · cue · date · press · field · last

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. last — final
  4. field — a subject
  5. press — newspapers
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. press — to push
  10. last — finally
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. cue — a hint
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — to go on
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. coach — a trainer

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