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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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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: stick · mate · band · press · field · leaves · bay · kid

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. kid — child
  13. press — to push
  14. mate — to breed
  15. field — a subject
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a music group
  18. mate — a partner
  19. field — farmland
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. band — a ring
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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