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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. capital — a city
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — to sink
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — in a road
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bowl — a dish

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