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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stand — to bear
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — to be able to
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. capital — money

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