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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: tear · mouse · craft · capital · bowl · mug · prune · last

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. craft — boats
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. capital — money
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — a face
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mug — to rob
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. last — to go on
  22. last — final
  23. prune — to trim
  24. last — finally

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