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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: craft · press · deal · racket · bark · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. press — newspapers
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. press — a publisher
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. craft — a skill
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — hasty

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