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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. capital — a city
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. capital — money
  8. track — a path
  9. fine — all right
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. track — a song
  16. fine — high quality
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — to keep track
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a skill
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — boats

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