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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — a line
  8. mate — a friend
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. craft — boats
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — to paddle
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mate — a partner
  19. capital — a city
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. craft — a skill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — money

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