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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: mark · field · sharp · capital · fan · bore · race · craft

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. capital — a city
  4. race — humankind
  5. craft — boats
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. race — a contest
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bore — to tire
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mark — a grade
  19. field — a subject
  20. race — the arms race
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. capital — money
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — for sport

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