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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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468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. capital — money
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — a city
  11. club — for dancing
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. cell — in biology
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. club — for golf
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — a group
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cell — in a prison

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