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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 120 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. firm — a company
  8. shower — rain
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. shower — to wash
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hand — in cards
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — a city
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. ball — a dance

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