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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: craft · racket · leaves · club · hand · roll · bore · press

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. craft — boats
  3. club — a group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. craft — a skill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. roll — a list
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. press — newspapers
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. roll — a cake
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. press — a publisher
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  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