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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · field · wave · cell · court · pop · mouse · stock

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. field — for sport
  3. pop — music
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. stock — goods
  7. cell — a phone
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — shares
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. field — farmland
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. cell — in biology
  18. field — a subject
  19. press — a publisher
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. press — to push
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. pop — to visit

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