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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. rush — hurry
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. file — a document
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. scale — size or range
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. file — a line of people
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. board — to get on
  20. capital — a city
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bark — to shout
  23. capital — money
  24. rush — to hurry

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