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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: craft · bank · ruler · stock · saw · capital · fall · coach

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — boats
  9. stock — shares
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. capital — money
  14. bank — for money
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a city
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fall — the season
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — the tool

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