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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: rush · mate · press · swing · staff · field · bay · fan

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. swing — music
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. field — farmland
  10. rush — hurry
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mate — a partner
  13. swing — in golf
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. staff — employees
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. press — to push
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. field — a subject

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