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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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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 · vault · jam · date · kid · racket · press · bore

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bore — to drill
  5. craft — a skill
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. press — newspapers
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. press — to push
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — boats
  18. kid — to tease
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bore — to tire
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. kid — child
  24. racket — for tennis

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