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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — to push
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fork — in a road
  18. press — a publisher
  19. craft — boats
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fork — to eat with

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