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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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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: tear · racket · dip · craft · jam · rock · bank · capital

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rock — music
  5. capital — money
  6. rock — a stone
  7. tear — from crying
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. craft — boats
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. dip — to sink
  14. tear — to rip
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. capital — a city
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bank — for money
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bank — for money
  24. craft — a handicraft

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