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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. capital — a city
  5. bank — for money
  6. tube — a container
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rock — a stone
  9. capital — money
  10. tube — the underground
  11. bark — to shout
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rock — music
  18. tube — in a tire

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