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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: craft · capital · mug · game · nail · perch · rock · cabinet

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. game — a match
  9. capital — money
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mug — a face
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. game — wild animals
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. rock — a stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mug — a cup
  22. capital — a city
  23. mug — to rob
  24. perch — the fish

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