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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.

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: stem · hand · perch · press · bat · drill · pit · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pit — in a race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. press — to push
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bat — the animal
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. press — newspapers
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. drill — a practice
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. hand — help
  19. drill — army training
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. press — a publisher
  22. perch — the fish
  23. craft — boats
  24. hand — in cards

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