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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. craft — boats
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. capital — money
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — for money
  15. band — a music group
  16. can — a tin
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ground — crushed
  20. can — a tin
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — a handicraft

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