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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — a contest
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. charge — electricity
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bark — to shout
  18. charge — a price
  19. capital — money
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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