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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: capital · race · root · bank · game · deal · craft · spring

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. capital — money
  3. spring — of water
  4. race — the arms race
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — a contest
  10. root — the cause
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — a coil
  13. craft — boats
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bank — of a river
  17. root — of a plant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. root — of a word
  21. spring — the season
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. game — a match

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