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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 120 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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — there
  5. rock — a stone
  6. field — farmland
  7. present — the time now
  8. capital — money
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — music
  12. field — a subject
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. wax — to grow
  18. field — for sport
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. capital — a city
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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