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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: game · snap · capital · season · ground · can · staff · craft

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. craft — a skill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. craft — boats
  6. season — of the year
  7. capital — a city
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. capital — money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. can — a tin
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — crushed
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. ground — a position
  19. season — in sport
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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