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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  3. file — a document
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. file — a tool
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rest — a break
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bore — to drill
  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