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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. capital — a city
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. present — the time now
  20. bank — of a river
  21. suit — to fit
  22. present — there
  23. present — a gift
  24. staff — employees

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