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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 116 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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. stock — shares
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to click
  11. capital — a city
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stock — goods
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. capital — money
  20. chip — to eat
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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