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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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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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — after costs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. press — to push
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — in sport
  14. mine — for digging
  15. craft — boats
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spring — the season
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a skill
  24. hand — in cards

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