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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. capital — money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. capital — a city
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — in music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — for a lock
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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