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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. capital — money
  3. capital — a city
  4. court — of law
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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