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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: object · ground · pit · wake · craft · swing · pitcher · press

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. press — a publisher
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — newspapers
  13. swing — to play on
  14. object — an aim
  15. craft — boats
  16. pit — a hole
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pit — in a race
  23. swing — music
  24. press — to push

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