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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 120 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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. capital — a city
  3. firm — decided
  4. craft — boats
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. firm — steady
  9. pop — to visit
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. court — of law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. pop — music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pop — soda

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