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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bark — to shout
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. object — to protest
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. object — an aim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. present — the time now
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — a thing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. capital — money
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — there
  24. present — a gift

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