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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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Word bank
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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: craft · press · stick · field · trunk · deal

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — for sport
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — farmland
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — a subject
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. craft — boats
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. press — newspapers
  15. deal — to handle
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. press — to push

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