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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — boats
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. press — newspapers
  13. last — to go on
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stand — to bear
  16. last — final
  17. degree — an amount
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. last — finally
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fork — a garden tool

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