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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 116 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — a phone
  10. capital — money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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