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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  2. capital — money
  3. court — of a king
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — happening now
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rest — a break
  10. current — of water
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. current — electric
  13. rest — what's left
  14. capital — a city
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bank — for money
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. court — for sport
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — to recline
  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