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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: deal · prune · hide · pitcher · capital · object · chest · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. capital — money
  4. object — an aim
  5. capital — a city
  6. chest — of your body
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chest — of your body
  14. object — a thing
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chest — a box
  22. prune — to trim
  23. deal — to handle
  24. prune — the fruit

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