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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: racket · cap · press · firm · hand · field · rock · craft

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — a company
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. press — a publisher
  5. field — for sport
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rock — a stone
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. cap — a hat
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. cap — of ice
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — farmland
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. press — to push
  20. field — a subject
  21. hand — in cards
  22. rock — music
  23. hand — help
  24. firm — decided

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