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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 · field · mate · cell · key

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. craft — boats
  3. key — for a lock
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. press — newspapers
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. field — a subject
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — a friend
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. key — in music
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport

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