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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: bowl · capital · rash · rest · stick · file · craft · land

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rest — a break
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a skill
  6. file — a tool
  7. land — ground
  8. file — a line of people
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. rash — a series
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — money
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — to come down
  19. file — a document
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. craft — boats
  24. land — a country

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