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

Word bank: stand · craft · bay · capital · jam · kick

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. craft — boats
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. capital — a city
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — a skill
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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