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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rule — government
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. capital — money
  12. rule — a law
  13. cap — a hat
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bark — to shout
  16. capital — a city
  17. track — a path
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cap — of ice
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. saw — the tool
  24. capital — a big letter

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