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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. capital — money
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. prune — to trim
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — all right
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. file — a document
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. prune — to trim
  23. file — a tool
  24. mouse — the animal

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