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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: coach · pit · rash · current · field · press · cue · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. field — farmland
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a signal
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — a publisher
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — to push
  14. hand — help
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — for pool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. current — electric
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. rash — hasty

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