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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 116 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bank — for money
  4. track — a path
  5. rock — a stone
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. bound — certain
  8. pop — music
  9. capital — a city
  10. track — a song
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. craft — boats
  14. track — to keep track
  15. pop — soda
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rock — music
  20. capital — money
  21. bound — tied together
  22. present — the time now
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bank — for 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