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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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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: toast · bear · pitch · club · fan · craft · capital · lean

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. lean — thin
  2. capital — money
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — completely
  8. craft — a skill
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. capital — a city
  11. club — a group
  12. bear — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. club — for dancing
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. toast — bread
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  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