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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. capital — a city
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. suit — to fit

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