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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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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: spell · cap · craft · spring · pound · press · bat · march

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. press — newspapers
  3. craft — a skill
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — a weight
  9. march — music
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a hat
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — a publisher
  16. march — the month
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. spring — a coil
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spring — of water
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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