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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. capital — money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bound — certain
  14. capital — a city
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bound — obliged
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — ministers

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