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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
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: press · mug · prune · craft · pitch · kid · nail · hand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. hand — help
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — boats
  12. prune — to trim
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mug — a face
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hand — in cards
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a cup

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