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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cabinet · craft · racket · spring · kid · press

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spring — of water
  6. press — newspapers
  7. craft — boats
  8. kid — to tease
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a skill
  11. kid — child
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cabinet — ministers

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