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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 124 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · press · fork · craft · calf · bay

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. craft — boats
  3. fork — in a road
  4. craft — a skill
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. press — to push
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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