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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 120 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
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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 · cell · craft · sharp · hand · cap · bowl · racket

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hand — help
  7. cap — a hat
  8. craft — a skill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. hand — in cards
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. craft — boats
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. press — a publisher
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a lid
  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