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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. club — for dancing
  10. craft — a skill
  11. capital — money
  12. pop — soda
  13. track — a song
  14. pop — music
  15. track — a path
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pop — to visit
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. rock — a stone

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