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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. season — in sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. craft — boats
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — a skill
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. season — of the year
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. can — a tin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. can — to be able to
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. club — for golf
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — lets stay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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