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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: ball · spring · cap · rule · craft · firm · capital · sharp

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spring — a coil
  4. firm — a company
  5. cap — a lid
  6. spring — of water
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a skill
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — boats
  13. rule — government
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ball — a dance
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. rule — a law
  18. spring — the season
  19. cap — of ice
  20. sharp — clever
  21. capital — money
  22. ball — a great time
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. firm — steady

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