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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: field · press · spell · cue · bark · game · present · last

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spell — letters
  3. last — to go on
  4. spell — a short time
  5. press — newspapers
  6. cue — for pool
  7. present — there
  8. bark — to shout
  9. last — finally
  10. present — a gift
  11. present — the time now
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. last — final
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. press — to push
  21. game — wild animals
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — a subject
  24. game — a match

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