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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. saw — the tool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. club — a group
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — a series
  7. firm — steady
  8. staff — employees
  9. capital — money
  10. staff — a stick
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. snap — to click
  14. craft — boats
  15. staff — employees
  16. firm — decided
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — a skill
  21. rash — hasty
  22. firm — a company
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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