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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ball — a great time
  3. capital — a city
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. ball — a dance
  11. branch — a division
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. capital — money
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. net — in sport

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