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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.

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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: band · hide · bear · capital · ground · mug · craft · cell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. craft — a skill
  6. band — a ring
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. capital — a city
  14. cell — in biology
  15. craft — boats
  16. bear — the animal
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. capital — money
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — crushed

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