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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
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. craft — a skill
  4. press — newspapers
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — a short time
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. dip — to sink
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. field — farmland
  18. craft — boats

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