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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chair — a leader
  4. capital — a city
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — tied together
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. current — electric
  14. mate — to breed
  15. capital — money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bound — certain
  18. drill — a practice
  19. current — happening now
  20. drill — army training
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — a skill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bound — obliged

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