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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · capital · craft · rock · wave · drill · pitcher · rash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. craft — boats
  7. capital — a city
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. track — a path
  12. craft — a skill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. drill — army training
  20. capital — money
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. drill — a practice

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