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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. cell — in biology
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cell — a phone
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. capital — money
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — for spectators

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