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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — to shout
  4. firm — a company
  5. capital — a city
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — the season
  9. capital — money
  10. prune — to trim
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. present — there
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. present — the time now
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. firm — steady
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. present — a gift
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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