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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · bound · craft · capital · staff · prune

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — a city
  8. staff — employees
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — obliged
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — certain
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. prune — the fruit

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