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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. current — happening now
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — music
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — electric
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. swing — in golf
  20. current — of water
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — of a tree

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