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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: foot · sharp · craft · cold · ball · march · press · tube

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cold — an illness
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — a container
  8. cold — not warm
  9. press — to push
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — the underground
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. press — a publisher
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cold — the Cold War

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