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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. capital — money
  4. object — an aim
  5. clip — for paper
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. suit — in cards
  11. bore — to tire
  12. clip — a video
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mine — for digging
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. clip — to cut
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. capital — a city
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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