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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. court — of law
  3. capital — money
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. capital — a city
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. craft — boats
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. court — of a king
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bass — the fish
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. bass — low music
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. court — for sport

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