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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · mouse · press · drill · row · march · rock · cap

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. drill — a practice
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. press — a publisher
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — music
  7. field — farmland
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — a subject
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. cap — of ice
  13. march — the month
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cap — a lid
  16. drill — army training
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. row — a line
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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