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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: cell · rest · mine · pitcher · craft · suit · rash · capital

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. craft — a skill
  3. cell — in biology
  4. suit — clothes
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rest — what's left
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — boats
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. capital — money
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rash — a series
  20. capital — a city
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rash — hasty

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