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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wound — an injury
  7. row — a line
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. suit — in cards
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. row — to paddle
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — to fit
  22. capital — a city
  23. craft — boats
  24. calf — a young animal

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