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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: mouse · field · press · net · track · wax · hand · charge

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. field — farmland
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. press — to push
  16. charge — electricity
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. charge — in control
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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