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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. capital — a city
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — finally
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. capital — money
  8. mark — a grade
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bore — to tire
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. last — to go on
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — to drill
  20. craft — a skill
  21. last — final
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fine — all right

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