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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to drill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fork — in a road
  9. capital — a city
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a ring
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. band — a music group
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hide — to keep secret

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