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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 116 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: capital · rest · craft · deal · chair · mark · spring · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rock — music
  8. spring — the season
  9. capital — a city
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. rest — what's left
  13. craft — a skill
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — to handle
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. capital — money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. rest — a break
  24. chair — a leader

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