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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 120 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a skill
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pop — music
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bass — low music
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — soda
  18. press — to push
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — boats
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — a handicraft

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