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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. craft — a skill
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. mug — a face
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. craft — boats
  9. mug — a cup
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pop — soda
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — money

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