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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 · coach · clip · bank · vault · press · field · bowl

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. clip — for paper
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bank — for money
  11. press — to push
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — to cut
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. press — newspapers
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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