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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. pop — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. capital — a city
  8. deal — to handle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. net — after costs
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pop — soda
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — a skill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — a position
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. craft — boats

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