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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. net — in sport
  5. press — to push
  6. net — for catching
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — newspapers
  16. tear — from crying
  17. net — after costs
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fine — high quality
  20. race — the arms race
  21. fine — all right
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — for tennis

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