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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: temple · field · cell · row · staff · racket · game · press

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. field — farmland
  6. cell — in biology
  7. staff — employees
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. staff — a stick
  10. game — a match
  11. row — to paddle
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — for sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. press — a publisher
  20. staff — employees
  21. cell — a phone
  22. row — a line
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. temple — side of the head

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