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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: mine · field · rush · press · game · charge · coach · mug

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. field — a subject
  6. charge — electricity
  7. mug — a face
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. charge — in control
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mug — to rob
  23. press — to push
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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