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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mug — a face
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bark — to shout
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — to push
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — high quality
  20. press — a publisher
  21. mug — to rob
  22. capital — a city
  23. fine — all right
  24. mug — a cup

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