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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 120 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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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: racket · fork · prune · stand · tear · craft · press · nail

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. craft — boats
  4. fork — in a road
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. press — newspapers
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. press — to push
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — a publisher
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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