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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: lean · nail · land · ground · club · press · craft · ball

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. craft — a skill
  4. lean — to bend
  5. land — a country
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. craft — boats
  15. ground — a position
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. club — a group
  21. ball — a dance
  22. club — for golf
  23. ground — the earth
  24. club — for dancing

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