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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 · deal · fine · press · cabinet · cold

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — boats
  5. fine — high quality
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cold — not warm
  8. press — newspapers
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. craft — a skill
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. press — to push
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. deal — an agreement

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