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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: snap · sharp · craft · lean · capital · track · root · deal

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. capital — a city
  4. track — to keep track
  5. snap — to click
  6. track — a path
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — to handle
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. capital — money
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. track — a song
  14. sharp — clever
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. root — of a word
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lean — to bend
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. root — of a plant
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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