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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pit — a hole
  4. press — to push
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — of a king
  7. spring — of water
  8. court — of law
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. spring — the season
  12. court — for sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. stand — to bear
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. craft — a skill
  24. press — newspapers

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