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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
468
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: dip · perch · field · hide · race · press · coach · net

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — newspapers
  3. race — humankind
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. press — a publisher
  8. field — farmland
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — for catching
  16. field — for sport
  17. race — the arms race
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. dip — to sink
  20. perch — the fish
  21. race — a contest
  22. field — a subject
  23. press — to push
  24. net — after costs

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