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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a great time
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. land — ground
  11. capital — a city
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. ball — a dance
  21. branch — a division
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. capital — money
  24. craft — boats

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