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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: bay · mouse · field · press · pop · kick · face · cue

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. face — to point toward
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. face — to confront
  9. pop — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — to push
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. field — for sport
  17. face — part of the head
  18. kick — in football
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — a signal
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — soda

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