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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rash — a series
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. dip — to sink
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. band — a ring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. hand — help
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hand — in cards
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — a city
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — boats

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