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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: season · cell · present · wake · jam · craft · press · cue

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. craft — boats
  5. cell — in biology
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. press — newspapers
  9. present — there
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. season — of the year
  19. wake — a trail
  20. press — a publisher
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. cell — a phone

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