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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: wax · press · bat · ball · field · temple · net · bay

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — after costs
  10. field — farmland
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. wax — to grow
  14. press — to push
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. ball — a great time
  20. net — for catching
  21. field — for sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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