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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.

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: swing · craft · bulb · ground · fan · jam · press · fine

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. press — to push
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. swing — music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bulb — for light
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. craft — boats
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — in golf
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fan — a supporter

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