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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: field · firm · cue · fall · press · hand · dip · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. firm — decided
  4. dip — to sink
  5. field — for sport
  6. press — a publisher
  7. firm — steady
  8. hand — in cards
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — help
  14. press — to push
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cue — a signal
  17. fall — the season
  18. cue — a hint
  19. field — farmland
  20. cue — for pool
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. firm — a company

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