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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. squash — the sport
  4. snap — to click
  5. capital — a city
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — to crush
  8. object — an aim
  9. current — of water
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. capital — money
  13. current — electric
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. club — for dancing
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — happening now
  24. bark — to shout

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