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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.

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: cabinet · sharp · pop · object · root · craft · capital · wind

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. capital — a city
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. object — to protest
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — soda
  11. object — an aim
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. root — of a plant
  15. pop — music
  16. object — a thing
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. root — the cause
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. craft — a skill
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wind — moving air

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