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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 120 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: saw · season · capital · scale · tear · safe · stock · craft

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stock — shares
  7. scale — size or range
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — of the year
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stock — goods
  15. scale — in music
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a city
  19. tear — to rip
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. season — in sport
  22. saw — the tool
  23. craft — boats
  24. tear — from crying

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