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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. craft — boats
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. court — of a king
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. capital — money
  18. pound — a weight
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. court — for sport
  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