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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.

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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: march · rock · rest · calf · bay · field · ball · press

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. press — to push
  5. field — for sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — music
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — farmland
  11. march — the month
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. march — the month
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rest — a break
  16. ball — a great time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rock — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. field — a subject

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