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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. present — there
  4. pound — a weight
  5. firm — decided
  6. cell — a phone
  7. present — the time now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. cell — in biology
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. capital — a city
  13. firm — steady
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. craft — boats
  17. face — to confront
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. firm — a company
  21. present — a gift
  22. capital — money
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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