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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 116 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: stick · press · net · craft · shower · calf · racket · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. press — a publisher
  3. craft — boats
  4. shower — rain
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. press — to push
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — newspapers
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — for catching
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. craft — a handicraft

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