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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: cell · row · press · plane · pitcher · tube · net · craft

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — boats
  6. net — in sport
  7. press — newspapers
  8. tube — a container
  9. row — a line
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. press — a publisher
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — to push
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — after costs

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