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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. track — a song
  3. craft — boats
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cell — a phone
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in biology
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ground — the earth
  15. capital — a city
  16. suit — in cards
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. suit — clothes
  24. capital — money

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