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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. firm — a company
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. craft — boats
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. firm — steady
  9. roll — a list
  10. capital — money
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. firm — decided
  14. bound — tied together
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. toast — bread
  17. bound — certain
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. capital — a city
  20. bound — obliged
  21. roll — a cake
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. ball — a great time

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