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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — money
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. craft — a skill
  5. row — to paddle
  6. capital — a city
  7. court — of law
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — a stick
  13. craft — boats
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. board — a committee
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. board — to get on

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