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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: craft · bore · mine · ball · bear · racket · capital · charge

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — in control
  7. capital — money
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a great time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. craft — boats
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. capital — a city

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