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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: drill · press · snap · spring · craft · current · deal · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. drill — army training
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. press — a publisher
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. craft — boats
  11. press — to push
  12. spring — of water
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — the tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — of water
  20. deal — to handle
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — a coil
  23. snap — to click
  24. spring — the season

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