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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.

Make a worksheet

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: stick · capital · key · net · mine · rash · prune · craft

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — for catching
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. key — in music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. net — in sport
  17. capital — money
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. net — after costs
  20. capital — a city
  21. key — the most important part
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — for a lock
  24. capital — a big letter

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