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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bark — to shout
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. press — newspapers
  7. capital — money
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. squash — to crush
  10. craft — a skill
  11. field — farmland
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. field — a subject
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. pass — a permit
  18. press — to push
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. press — a publisher
  21. field — for sport
  22. squash — the sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — a city

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