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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. capital — a city
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — decided
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — steady
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. degree — an amount
  18. swing — in golf
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. capital — money
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — temperature
  24. ball — a great time

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