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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: press · pitcher · plane · trunk · stick · fork · swing · craft

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. press — to push
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — boats
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. plane — a tool
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. swing — in golf
  22. press — newspapers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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