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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. craft — a skill
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. chip — to eat
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mine — for digging
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bank — for money
  17. face — to confront
  18. cell — in biology
  19. capital — a city
  20. bank — for money
  21. craft — boats
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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