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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 116 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: press · saw · chair · craft · deal · fork · can · pit

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — a tin
  3. craft — boats
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. chair — a leader
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — in a race
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. deal — to handle
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — a skill
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — a publisher

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