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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rock — a stone
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rock — music
  10. fork — in a road
  11. capital — money
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rule — a law
  14. cap — of ice
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. capital — a city
  19. lean — thin
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. fork — a garden tool

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