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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: deal · bound · fork · field · lie · mug · press · cue

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — a publisher
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — certain
  9. mug — a face
  10. bound — obliged
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — for sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. press — to push
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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