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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: spell · spring · racket · scale · craft · press · squash · stem

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. spell — magic
  3. stem — to come from
  4. scale — size or range
  5. craft — a skill
  6. spring — of water
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. spell — a short time
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. press — a publisher
  11. spell — letters
  12. craft — boats
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — in music
  15. spring — the season
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the sport
  20. press — newspapers
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — a coil
  24. press — to push

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