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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: bay · nail · capital · ground · rule · craft · game · saw

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. capital — a city
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. saw — the tool
  5. ground — crushed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ground — a position
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. craft — a skill
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. game — a match
  15. rule — government
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — boats
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. capital — money
  23. rule — a law
  24. bay — a horse colour

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