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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ground — the earth
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. capital — money
  5. charge — in control
  6. capital — a city
  7. object — a thing
  8. craft — a skill
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. object — to protest
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. object — an aim
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wind — moving air
  17. charge — a price
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wind — moving air
  23. ground — a position
  24. rush — hurry

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