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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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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: craft · press · track · pitch · rash · hand · cabinet · jam

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. press — to push
  3. hand — in cards
  4. track — to keep track
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. track — a path
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. pitch — completely
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — help
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. rash — a series
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. track — a song

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