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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — for a lock
  4. band — a ring
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — certain
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. capital — money
  11. key — in music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — boats
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pit — a hole
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — in a race
  24. capital — a city

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