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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 120 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. capital — money
  14. branch — a division
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. capital — a city
  24. chair — a leader

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