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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. file — a document
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bore — to drill
  7. craft — boats
  8. spring — a coil
  9. file — a tool
  10. mark — a trace
  11. spring — the season
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. file — a line of people
  15. key — in music
  16. capital — a city
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — of water
  24. bowl — a dish

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