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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bore — to tire
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. capital — a city
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stock — goods
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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