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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: fork · pitcher · racket · current · swing · craft · press · cold

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cold — not warm
  4. current — happening now
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. craft — boats
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. current — of water
  14. press — to push
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. cold — an illness
  20. swing — to play on
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — a publisher
  24. current — electric

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