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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. march — the month
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — a container
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — boats
  19. net — after costs
  20. tube — the underground
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. march — the month
  24. march — 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