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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 · branch · wake · race · craft · sharp · fork · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. craft — a skill
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. can — a tin
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. race — humankind
  10. fork — in a road
  11. race — a contest
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. capital — a city
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. can — to be able to
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. sharp — clever

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