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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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Word bank
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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — a hole
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a dance
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — boats
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chest — of your body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — to push
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chest — a box
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — goods
  24. press — a publisher

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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