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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.

Make a worksheet

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: cap · racket · tube · craft · deal · sharp · press · lean

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. press — to push
  3. craft — a skill
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — a lid
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — newspapers
  10. cap — of ice
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. craft — boats
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — a container

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