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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  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. capital — money
  2. dip — to sink
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bark — to shout
  9. row — to paddle
  10. capital — a city
  11. row — a line
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. fine — high quality
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — a penalty
  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