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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: court · press · spell · march · cue · temple · field · bass

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — for sport
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. march — the month
  7. press — to push
  8. court — for sport
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — a subject
  14. bass — low music
  15. spell — magic
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. spell — letters
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. field — farmland
  23. press — a publisher
  24. spell — a short time

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