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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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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: craft · press · stick · field · trunk · deal · pound · bay

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. deal — to handle
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. craft — a skill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. press — to push
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. press — a publisher

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