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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tear — to rip
  5. key — in music
  6. capital — money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — boats
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bore — to drill
  16. key — the most important part
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. key — for a lock
  23. court — for sport
  24. bore — gave birth

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