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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.

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: band · mouse · rock · craft · tube · sharp · capital · pitcher

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — a container
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. craft — a skill
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rock — music
  18. band — a ring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a music group
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. tube — the underground
  23. capital — money
  24. rock — a stone

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