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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: capital · foot · cue · wake · present · bowl · craft · hide

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. craft — boats
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. present — there
  6. craft — a skill
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — a signal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. capital — money
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. capital — a city
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a hint

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