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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mine — for digging
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. fine — high quality
  13. press — to push
  14. swing — to play on
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. swing — music

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