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

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — a stone
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. scale — in music
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — a publisher
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — the earth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — size or range

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