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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fine — all right
  3. capital — a city
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. craft — boats
  12. cue — for pool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cue — a signal
  16. suit — clothes
  17. bark — to shout
  18. capital — money
  19. fine — high quality
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cue — a hint
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. capital — a big letter

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