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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. capital — a city
  6. mug — a face
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. capital — money
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mug — to rob
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. mate — a friend
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a partner

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