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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 116 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: bat · staff · mouse · bay · mark · press · land · field

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. mark — a trace
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mark — a grade
  13. staff — employees
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. field — for sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. field — farmland
  22. land — ground
  23. press — to push
  24. bat — for baseball

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