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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.

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: capital · swing · chest · craft · pop · bear · sharp · chip

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. craft — a skill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chest — of your body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chest — a box
  7. capital — money
  8. swing — in golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. chest — of your body
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — a city
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chip — to eat
  17. swing — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bear — to put up with
  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