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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 · pit · date · press · calf · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — boats
  3. press — a publisher
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. craft — a skill
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — to push
  18. firm — a company

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