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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — electric
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bark — to shout
  6. capital — a city
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. present — a gift
  17. plane — a tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for golf
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. club — a group
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. present — there

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