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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · craft · present · pit · press · staff

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. craft — boats
  3. present — there
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. staff — employees
  10. pit — in a race
  11. present — a gift
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. craft — a skill
  15. present — the time now
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — a publisher

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