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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — a division
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. root — of a plant
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. capital — money
  18. tube — the underground
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a word
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — to shout

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