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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: hand · field · press · hide · craft · mug · cue · roll

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. craft — boats
  6. mug — a cup
  7. craft — a skill
  8. roll — a list
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. hand — help
  15. press — to push
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. field — for sport
  18. cue — a signal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — a face

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