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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a skill
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bank — of a river
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. present — there
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — the time now
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — boats
  24. racket — a loud noise

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