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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — music
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. press — a publisher
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pop — to visit
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wind — moving air
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pitch — completely
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — to push
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wind — moving air

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