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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 120 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: cap · craft · pop · bowl · nail · capital · wax · band

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. pop — music
  5. cap — a lid
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pop — soda
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pop — to visit
  12. capital — a city
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a hat
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cap — of ice
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. craft — boats
  23. band — a ring
  24. wax — for sculpting

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