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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hand — help
  4. capital — money
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. hand — in cards
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — the most important part
  13. capital — a city
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. key — in music
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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