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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  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. craft — a skill
  2. board — to get on
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — soda
  6. rush — hurry
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. band — a ring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pop — music
  18. craft — boats
  19. band — a music group
  20. pop — to visit
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — a committee
  23. capital — a big letter
  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