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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: capital · spell · craft · key · firm · swing · rock · wake

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. firm — steady
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — the most important part
  5. craft — a skill
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rock — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. firm — a company
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — for a lock
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — decided
  15. key — in music
  16. swing — music
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. capital — money
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wake — a trail
  22. capital — a city
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. swing — in golf

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