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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: press · field · last · club · drill · stock · lash · season

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. season — of the year
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. club — a group
  9. last — to go on
  10. season — in sport
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. stock — goods
  13. field — a subject
  14. drill — a practice
  15. press — to push
  16. club — for dancing
  17. last — finally
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. last — final
  21. stock — shares
  22. drill — the tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. season — to add flavour

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