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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: rest · file · press · rock · craft · field · bear · swing

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. file — a tool
  3. field — farmland
  4. bear — the animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — what's left
  7. swing — music
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. press — a publisher
  10. file — a document
  11. rest — a break
  12. field — a subject
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. craft — boats
  15. press — to push
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — a stone
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rock — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — in golf
  24. field — for sport

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