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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wound — an injury
  5. capital — a city
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. capital — money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. object — to protest
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. object — a thing
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a committee
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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