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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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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. plane — a tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. craft — a skill
  8. capital — money
  9. bark — to shout
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — boats
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — music
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. capital — a city
  18. pop — soda
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a committee
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. plane — an aircraft

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