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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. suit — to fit
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. suit — clothes
  6. staff — employees
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — of water
  9. bark — to shout
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. suit — in cards
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tear — to rip
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pit — in a race
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. capital — money
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. capital — a city

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