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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. craft — a skill
  3. suit — clothes
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ball — a great time
  6. capital — a city
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ground — the earth
  12. current — electric
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. capital — money
  16. suit — to fit
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. current — of water
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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