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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 124 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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. fork — in a road
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pit — a hole
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. capital — a city
  22. bound — certain
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bound — tied together

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