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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. prune — to trim
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. capital — money
  9. prune — to trim
  10. track — a path
  11. key — the most important part
  12. capital — a city
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. track — to keep track
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. key — in music

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