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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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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. craft — boats
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — to drill
  9. capital — a city
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — to paddle
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — a measure
  18. row — a line
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bore — to tire
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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