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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: last · craft · band · sharp · capital · cabinet · ball · jam

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ball — a dance
  5. capital — money
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. sharp — clever
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. craft — a skill
  11. band — a ring
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. last — final
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — finally
  20. band — a music group
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. craft — boats
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. capital — a city

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