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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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 skill
  2. capital — a city
  3. content — the amount
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. season — in sport
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — steady
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. content — happy
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. craft — boats
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. wake — a trail
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. sharp — exactly
  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