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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. present — a gift
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — there
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hand — in cards
  15. suit — in cards
  16. capital — a city
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. present — the time now
  24. craft — a handicraft

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