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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bound — obliged
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — for money
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. spring — the season
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. spring — of water
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. capital — money
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — to shout
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bound — certain
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a city

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