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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chip — to eat
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chip — for betting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. track — a song
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. track — to keep track
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cell — a phone
  16. prune — to trim
  17. capital — money
  18. bound — certain
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. craft — boats
  21. track — a path
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. capital — a city
  24. bound — obliged

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