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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · staff · sharp · capital · rash · stick · season · band

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. sharp — clever
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. staff — employees
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. staff — a stick
  13. band — a ring
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — boats
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — of the year
  23. capital — money
  24. staff — employees

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