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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: wave · press · drill · cue · track · field · current · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — farmland
  7. press — to push
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. current — electric
  13. drill — a practice
  14. current — happening now
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — of water
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cue — a signal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. track — a song
  22. track — to keep track
  23. drill — army training
  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