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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · craft · press · capital · dip · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — decided
  5. press — to push
  6. dip — to sink
  7. capital — a city
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. craft — boats
  10. press — newspapers
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. firm — a company
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. press — a publisher
  18. capital — money

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