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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. scale — size or range
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. suit — in cards
  15. band — a ring
  16. capital — money
  17. craft — boats
  18. bound — certain
  19. plane — a tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. pound — a weight
  22. band — a music group
  23. scale — in music
  24. craft — a skill

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