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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · suit · field · cabinet · net · rash · capital · ball

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. field — a subject
  3. capital — money
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. press — to push
  7. net — in sport
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. net — for catching
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. net — after costs
  16. field — for sport
  17. rash — a series
  18. suit — to fit
  19. field — farmland
  20. ball — a dance
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rash — hasty
  24. press — newspapers

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